A digital rethink

Josh Sternberg of Digiday recently posted an interesting assessment of LinkedIn, which he dubbed "a sleeping giant of publishing". At the outset, Sternberg makes a case that "the ideal business publisher" would:

  • Use a robust platform
  • Support direct interactions
  • Feature well-known (industry-leading) writers
  • Be digitally native, and
  • Balance its revenue streams

He goes on to illustrate how LinkedIn meets all of these requirements, in an environment that supports 200 million users and sees 46 million unique visits a month.

I like Sternberg's assessment, and I don't think that LinkedIn is the only digitally native content site that might compete in this realm. One thing that he might consider adding, though: the ability to drive traffic to events.

Much as LinkedIn has fostered thousands of interest groups (many of which have found ways to meet face-to-face on occasion), I think the service could become an effective platform for niche and even larger events. That's an important aspect of how business-to-business publishers work now, and it could use a digital rethink.

About Brian O'Leary

Founder and principal of Magellan Media Consulting, Brian O’Leary helps enterprises with media and publishing components capitalize on the power of content. A veteran of more than 30 years in the publishing industry and a prolific content producer himself, Brian leverages the breadth and depth of his experience to deliver innovative content solutions.

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